Davis is first woman to become Plainview prison warden

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, October 16, 2009

It’s not known for sure, but it’s believed that now is the first time in the history of the Wheeler-Formby Prison Units that the warden’s hobbies include jewelry making.

Not to mention craft work and making wind chimes.

Maybe you’ve guessed, but it’s also the first time in the history of the units that the warden is a woman.

Lorie Davis took over the top job at the medium-security facility in July, charged with overseeing some 1,600 inmates and 410 employees. She’s the first female among the prisons’ five wardens, dating back to J.V. Young and including Eddie Pigg, David Cole and, most recently, Eddie Walker, who was here nine months before being assigned by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to the warden’s position in Edinburg.

Davis hopes she will be in Plainview awhile.

"I’ve enjoyed the town, and we have a lot of really good staff out here," she said. "But we serve until we’re called somewhere else. We got where we’re needed, but hopefully it will be a little bit."

Davis, 41, is one of only four female wardens in the close to 100 male prisons in Texas, she said. The state’s seven female units all have female wardens.

She has worked in both male and female prisons, but prefers male prisons.

"I spent three years at an all-female facility," Davis recalled. "Men are easier to control."

She did say that being a female warden might give her a different perspective than her male counterparts.

"Sometimes us girls have a little bit more patience," she said. "I try to manage with a heart and make everybody feel part of the family. That’s what we do as a penitentiary. That’s what it takes to survive."

Davis graduated from Bruceville-Eddy High School outside of Waco. She earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and business administration from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls and her master’s in public administration from Texas Tech.

She said she felt "called" to enter into public service and, specifically, corrections.

"I enjoy working with the people. It’s never boring," she said. "I believe in what we do, and I’ve made that my life purpose. I think we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of offenders, and as a leader in the agency I have a huge responsibility to make a difference in the lives of the staff."

Davis started out as a correctional officer in Huntsville in 1988 and also has worked at facilities in Beeville, Wichita Falls and Henderson. She served as assistant warden at the Montford Unit in Lubbock for four years before getting her first senior warden assignment in Gatesville. After three years there, she transferred to the facility in Fort Stockton where she stayed for nine months before coming to Plainview.

"I just worked my way up through the ranks," she said. "The diversity of my background allows me to remember there is a safe and secure way to do things."

While doing that is among her top priorities, Davis said she "has a couple of pretty exciting things on the drawing board" at the prison.

A volunteer group is looking into building a chapel and also sponsoring a faith-based dorm.

"That’s pretty awesome," she said. "I think it’s something that would definitely benefit the community to help those guys reintegrate a little bit better.

"I’m excited about exploring those options. We want to continue to be a good neighbor (to Plainview) and be able to provide community service and keep everybody safe."

Prison work plays a big part in Davis’ life, of course, but even more so since her husband, Calvin, works as a major at the Montford Unit.

While Lorie, whose "bonus child" (she doesn’t like the term stepchild) lives in Amarillo, lives in the warden’s residence on prison grounds, Calvin lives in Lubbock. But by being flexible and understanding they manage to make their marriage work. They spend weekends together and also have a standing date on Wednesday nights, Lorie said.

It’s actually the closest set-up for the couple since Lorie has been a senior warden. When she was in Fort Stockton the two were 3 1/2 hours apart, and when she served in Gatesville they found themselves 5 1/2 hours apart.

"I consider myself a Panhandle girl now," Davis said.

It’s a good thing she likes to travel. In fact, she considers traveling one of her hobbies . . . in addition to the jewelry making.